Lamp-holding device.



R. B. BENJAMIN.

LAMP HOLDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-13, 100a.

m /mz R. B. BENJAMIN.

LAMP HOLDING DEVICE- APPLICATION FILED MAR-13, 1908.

950,65 1 Patented Mar. 1, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

LAMP-HOLDING DEVICE.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN B. BENJA- IN, a citizenof the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lamp-Holding Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in electric lamp sockets, one of the objects of the invention being to provide a device of this class which is of simple and economical construction.

Another object of my invention is to provide a lamp-holding device which is so constructed that in installing the same the basic or supporting part may be secured to a ceiling, wall or the like, and have the leading-in wires secured to binding-posts carried thereby, after which the attachment of the lamp-carrying part in lace to conceal the base will complete the e. ectrical connections without further wiring or adjustment of parts.

Another object is to provide a device ot' this class in which a change may be made in. the number of lamps which the device will take with a minimum of expense and difficulty.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a cross-section taken on the line 1-l of Fig. 2, showing a preferred embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of this device; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the lamp-carrying portion of the device, separated from the basic or supporting part; Fig. 4 is an under-side view of the basic or supporting part, the lamp-carrying portion being removed thcrett'rom; Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view of the basic part ot the device, the section being taken on the line 5 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 6 is a partial. sectional View taken on the line 6 of Fig. t, looking in the direction of the arrow.

In the several figures of the drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate the same parts throughout, 10 is a base formed of porcelain or other suitable insulating ma- Speczlfication of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 13, 1908.

Patented Mar. 1, 1910.

Serial No. 420,917.;

terial and provided with a pair of openings 11., 11 for the passage of screws or similar means for securing the device in place upon a wall or ceiling. The under side of the base 10 is provided with a central projection 12 terminating in a cone-shaped portion 13. Extending radially from the projection 12 is a lug 14L having an opening I5 extending therethrough :tor the passage of one of the conductors to the binding-screw 16, the latter being carried by a contact member 16*, shown herein as consisting of a flared ring surrounding the cone-shaped portion 13 ol the projection 12. This contact member 16 is held in place on the projection 12 by means of a screw or bolt 17 which extends centrally through the base. The screw is insulated from the contact member 16 by washers 18 of suitable insulating material such as mica, and a nut 19 carried by the screw 1.7 clamps the insulating washers between itself and the member 16 and thereby holds these parts firmly to the base. 011 the under side oi the base 10 there is cured also a contact plate 20 having a bindii'igscrew 21, to which a conductor passes through an opening provided for that purpose in the base.

The body of the device consists-of a casing preferably metallic, provided with suitable openings for the reception oi the lamps, each oi. these openings being surrounded by a cylindrical neck A, in each of which is disposed a threaded. shell 25 adapted for the reception of the lamp base. An insulating disk 20 is arranged in the casing above the threaded shells 25 and provided with an opening through which passes the projection 12 on the base when the body of the device is put up into position, this opening havii'ig a lateral extension 27 which receives the lug 14, thereby preventing the parts being put together in any other than the proper relative positions. Each of the threaded shells 25 is n-ovided witha tongue 28, these tongues being secured to the insulating disk 26 by means of suitable bolts 2%), these bolts passing also through a connect ing plate 30 whereby the sockets are electrically connected together. Secured to the plate 30 is a contact member 3l. arranged for engagement with the contact plate 20 when the lamp-carrying portion of the device is put up into place, this contact plate 31 being shown herein as a substantially U-shaped spring plate secured in place by means of one of the bolts 29 which secure the tongues '28 to the disk 26.

To hold the lamp-carrying portion of the device to the base, the screw 17 is elongated and extended through a central opening in the casing and provided with a second nut 32 upon its end, this nut being given the form of a ball to enhance its appearance.

In installing this device for use, the base 10 is first secured to the wall, ceiling or other support by means of screws or the like passing through the openings 11, 11. The leading-in wires are then brought through the openings 15 and 22 to the bindingscrews 16 and 21, carried by the contact plates 16 and 20 respectively. The body of the device, comprising the casing and the lamp-holders, is now put up into place, whereupon the contact plate 20 is engaged by the spring contact 31, connection being thus established between the binding-screw 21 and the threaded shells 25. hen the bases of the lamps are inserted into the threaded shells 25, their center terminals will engage the contact member 16 the circuit being thus completed through the lamps.

' If, after the device has been installed and used, it becomes necessary to increase the illuminating effect, or if, for any other reason, it becomes necessary to increase or decrease the number of lamps which the socket may carry, this may be readily accomplished by taking oil the nut 32 and removing the casing 23, after which another casing having a greater or smaller number of lampreceivers may be substituted and attached in its place. Furthermore, a dealer would find it unnecessary to carry a large amount of stock on hand in order to be able to fill orders for devices of different capacities, as the basic portion, comprising the base 10, contact members 16 and 20, and. securing bolt 17, is adapted to serve its purpose with casings having any number of lamp-holders from one to the greatest number possible.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination of a casing having a wall extending thereacross, said wall having an opening, a base having a reduced portion formed to be inserted into said opening, a lamp-terminal-engaging member on said reduced portion, a threaded shell carried by said casing, a conducting member on the outer side of said wall electrically connected. with said threaded shell, a contact member carried by said base for engagement with said conducting member, means for connecting a lead with said contact member, and means for preventing rotation of the casing relatively to the base.

2. The combination of a casing having a wall. extending thereacross, said wall havingan opening, a base having a reduced portion formed to be inserted into said opening, a lamp-terminal-engaging member on said reduced portion, a threaded shell carried by said casing, a conducting member on the outer side of said wall electrically connected with said threaded shell, a contact member carried by said base for engagement with said conducting member, means for connecting a lead with said contact member, and an axially disposed bolt for securing the casing to the base.

8. The combination of a casing having a wall extending thereacross, said wall having an opening, a base having a reduced portion formed to be inserted into said opening, a lamp-terminal-engaging member on said reduced portion, a threaded shell carried by said casing, a conducting memher on the outer side of said wall electrically connected with said threaded shell, a contact member carried by said base and arranged for engagement with said conducting member, and means for connecting a lead with said contact member.

4. The combination. of a casing having a wall extending thereacross, said wall having a non-circular opening, a base having a reduced portion formed to be inserted into said opening, a lamp-terminal-engaging member on said reduced portion, a threaded shell carried by said casing, a conducting member on the outer side of said wall electrically connected with said threaded shell, a contact member carriedby said base and arranged for engagement with said conducting member, and means for connecting a lead with said contact member.

5. The combination of a base having a projection thereon, a casing having a partition therein, said partition having an opening for the reception of the projection on the base, means for preventing rotation of the base and easing relatively to each other, a threaded shell carried by the casing, a contact member on said partition incommunication with said threaded shell, and a cooperating contact member carried by said base for engagement with said first-named contact member, said last-named contact member having means on the inner side of the base for connecting a lead therewith.

6. The combination of a circular casing having a wall arranged perpendicular to the axis thereof and provided with an opening, a base having a projection adapted to pass through said opening, a lamp-contacting member carried by said base, a binding terminal accessible from the front of said base for connecting a lead with said member, a 5 In witness whereof, I have hereunto subthreaded lamp receiving shell carried by scribed my name in the presence of two wit- 1 said casing, a contact member electrically i nesses.

connected W 1th sa1d shell and arranged upon REUBEN B BENJAMIN;

the outer side of sald Wall, and a contact i piece carried by said base and adapted to Witnesses:

engage said contact member when the parts i M. L. FARRAR,

are assembled. 1 CHARLES L. HOPKINS. 

